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Today, 07 November 2009

› Malema’s life in danger

› Leicester sting Bok Bs

› Eskom chair faces the axe

› Nedbank, ANCYL make up

› Hofmeyr addresses Joost

Yesterday, 06 November 2009

› ANCYL, BMF back Maroga

› Vanilla Ice, ice baby?

› Eskom boss 'slaughtered'

› I have fallen hard - Joost

› Eskom boss 'pushed'

You move into a new home and the garden is, well, non-existent, so where do you start?

Remember you will add real value to your home with a new garden and first impressions really do count, so it's vital to have a garden that's pleasing to the eye and practical for all who live with it and come to visit.

1. Find out what you want

First things first, figure out what it is you want.

Deborah Hele of the GardenShop says: "Sit down, work out what you want, and start there. Always ask yourself how practical your new garden will be when coping with the needs of your household, including children and pets... "

2. Draw up a budget

Since nobody really has too much extra to spend these days, you want to make sure you can afford the garden you want. If not you may have to hold off for a bit or reconsider your plans based on what you can afford.

Deborah offers this advice: "Draw up a budget. Before starting your project work out roughly, how much money you have available for your project. Even if you do one section of the garden at a time."

3. Have a plan

Once you have an idea of what you want and how much you can spend, it's time to plan. By creating a plan, you can work through any potential problems on paper, rather than finding yourself stuck mid-way through your project.

Part of planning would include mapping out your garden.

"Put pen to paper and map out your garden. Pencil in existing buildings, swimming pool, driveways, any existing mature trees and existing pathways," explains Deborah.

4. Decide on style

The next step is to "decide what style of garden you want," says Deborah.

"For example, indigenous, formal, Japanese or tropical". The style of your garden will determine the layout of garden beds and choice your choice of plants."

5. Know your soil

It's important to "know your soil", says Deborah. "One of the best investments of your time and money is soil preparation."

Soil testing is most important. At the very least check your soil's pH, as this will tell you how acidic or alkaline your soil is.

Plants cannot take up nutrients unless the soil's pH is within an acceptable range.

Most plants like a somewhat neutral pH, 6.2-6.8, but some are more particular. If you are growing plants from the nursery, check the plant tag for specifics. If no pH preference is listed, a neutral range is fine.

6. Think about climate

Before planting, you need to take into consideration when the sun hits your site. Afternoon sun will be hotter and more drying than morning sun.

7. Prepare your garden

Now's it's time to divide your garden into hard landscaping and soft landscaping. Always start with your hard landscaping first — putting in pathways, patios, fences and retaining walls. Your soft landscaping is your plants.

"If you get the hard landscaping out of the way first, you're then ready to lay your new lawn, plant your beds, without having to worry about damaging or destroying newly laid lawn and plants," advises Deborah.

Your chosen site will probably also have grass, weeds, or perhaps even rubble. These must be cleared somehow, before you can plant anything.

If your soil is in relatively good shape, it's possible to leave the grass in place and build on top of it.

Place a thick layer (8-10 sheets) of newspaper over the garden bed and wet it thoroughly. Then cover the newspaper with 4-6 inches of good soil. The newspaper will eventually decompose and the weeds will be smothered.

Starting with good soil means you won't have to add a lot of artificial fertiliser to your garden.

8. Planting time

Water the plants in their pots the day before you intend to plant. Don't remove all the plants from their pots and leave them sitting in the sun for the roots to dry out.

If the roots are densely packed or growing in a circle, tease them apart, so they will stretch out and grow into the surrounding soil.

Bury the plant to the depth it was in the pot. Too deep and the stem will rot; too high and the roots will dry out.

9. Mulching

Mulch is any material placed over soil in the garden. It's designed to retain moisture, deter weeds and keep the soil from eroding.

Mulch can come from several sources. You can either buy mulch through your landscaper or garden centre, or you can make your own by shredding leaves, sticks, grass, bark, compost and other organic material.

Whatever mulch you choose, apply it soon after planting, before new weeds sprout. Apply a 2-4 inch thick layer of mulch, avoiding direct contact with the plant stems.

10. Nurture and enjoy

Now: water. Make sure that your newly-planted garden gets enough water, especially during the hot summer months.

Keep a watchful eye and above all, make sure you enjoy it!